Question Period Note: Protocol for Agreements in Education

The Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction between the Government of Canada and provinces and territories has recently been concluded for 2019-2023. Negotiations are underway with the provinces and territories to conclude new bilateral education agreements.

• The Government of Canada is proud to collaborate with the provinces and territories to support minority-language education and second-language instruction, while respecting areas of jurisdiction.
• Moreover, in March 2019, the Government of Canada announced that an additional 60 million dollars was set aside to support minority-language education until 2023.
• A new Protocol for agreements with the provinces and territories is now concluded and we will sign new bilateral agreements that include new targets set by the provinces and territories.

• The “Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction” 2019-2023 is concluded between the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories. This multilateral framework sets the key parameters for collaboration between the two orders of government on official languages in education, and provides a mechanism through which the Government of Canada contributes to the costs incurred by the provinces and territories in the delivery of minority-language education and second-language instruction. Under the parameters of the protocol for agreements in education, each province and territory must negotiate a bilateral agreement that is tailored to its priorities to access its funding.
o While it shares the main objectives of the Protocol in education, the Government of Quebec is not a signatory to it. A bilateral agreement is being negotiated with Québec.
• Education is an area of provincial and territorial jurisdiction. The provincial and territorial governments are responsible for establishing plans, determining the objectives and priorities, and defining the contents for their programs in education.
 
• The additional funds for minority-language education, announced in Budget 2019, are available to the provinces and territories conditional upon the conclusion of a new Protocol, or subject to new bilateral agreements, which would include commitments by the provinces and territories regarding accountability with respect to the use of federal investments, and regular consultations with stakeholders in the design of related action plans. The majority of provinces and territories are expected to integrate the additional funds to their 2019–23 education agreement.
• The mandate letter for the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages contains the following commitments:
o “Work with the provinces and territories to ensure that all Canadians can access second official language programs, like immersion, in their local schools if they choose to do so, and make new investments to help train, recruit and attract teachers in both immersion and second official language programs.”
o “Based on new targets set by the provinces and territories, develop and promote new opportunities for language and cultural exchanges and invest in building infrastructure that supports strong official language minority communities, including schools and cultural centres.”
• With the conclusion of the new agreements, the provinces and territories will have access to funding for infrastructure initiatives that support official language minority communities (including schools and cultural centres), and to funding for the recruitment and retention of teachers both for minority-language schools and immersion and second-language programs.
• Pursuant to the bilateral education agreements, the Government of Canada provides
235.5 million dollars annually to provinces and territories. This includes 148.7 million dollars per year for education in the language of the minority and 86.8 million dollars for second-language instruction.
• To this amount, an additional 15 million dollars per year was set aside from 2019-2020 to 2022-2023 to increase support for minority-language education. This additional support, announced in Budget 2019, is conditional upon provinces and territories committing to improved consultation with stakeholders and transparency in reporting.

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